300 Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes (44 page)

When the slow cooker's time is up, drain the sausage and cut it into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks. Stir the sausage into the stuff in the slow cooker. Remove the bay leaf. Now ladle the whole thing into soup bowls and top each serving with a tablespoon (15 g) of pesto.

Yield:
8 servings, each with: 599 calories, 43 g fat, 44 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 5 g usable carbs.

Italian Sausage Soup

This is perfect on a chilly, rainy evening!

1 pound (455 g) Italian sausage links

1 medium onion

1 green pepper

1 celery rib

1 1/2 teaspoons oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

3 cloves garlic

8 cups (1.9 L) chicken broth

2 cups (475 ml) heavy cream

Put your big, heavy skillet over medium heat and brown the sausage all over. Let it cool a little so you can handle it.

While it's cooling, chop your onion, pepper, and celery.

Transfer your sausage to your cutting board and throw the veggies in the skillet. Add a splash of olive oil if needed. Sauté the the veggies for a few minutes while you move on to the next step.

Slice your sausage. Dump it in the slow cooker. Throw the sautéed vegetables in, too. Add the oregano and Italian seasoning and crush in the garlic.

Pour a cup or two (235 to 475 ml) of the broth into the skillet and stir it around to deglaze. Add to the slow cooker, along with the rest of the broth. Cover the slow cooker and cook for five or six hours.

At dinnertime, stir in the cream. Let it heat another 10 to 15 minutes and serve.

Yield:
6 servings, each with: 604 calories, 55 g fat, 19 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 7 g usable carbs.

Sausage and Green Bean Soup

Read the labels on the smoked sausage—they vary a lot in carb content.

1 pound (455 g) smoked sausage

1 tablespoon (15 g) coconut oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 can (14 1/2 ounces, or 410 g) diced tomatoes

6 cups (1.4 L) chicken broth

1 pound (455 g) frozen cross-cut green beans, thawed

1 tablespoon (6 g) Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 cloves garlic, crushed

Split the sausage lengthwise and slice into half-rounds about 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick. Put your big heavy skillet over medium-low heat and start browning the sausage in the coconut oil. (I gave mine a squirt of nonstick cooking spray first and needed only to rinse and wipe when done.) Unless your skillet is bigger than mine, this will take a couple of batches.

While the sausage is browning, chop the onion. When the sausage is all browned, throw it in the slow cooker and add the onion to the skillet. Sauté until it's translucent. Dump it in the slow cooker, too.

Add everything else, cover the cooker, and set it to low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours.

When it's done, taste to see if it needs a little salt and pepper—mine didn't need a thing!—then serve.

Yield:
5 servings, each with: 441 calories, 32 g fat, 21 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 15 g usable carbs.

Vegetable Beef Soup

This is serious comfort food!

3 pounds (1.4 kg) beef soup bones—meaty ones!

8 cups (1.9 L) water

5 teaspoons (30 g) beef bouillon concentrate

1 can (14 1/2 ounces, or 410 g) diced tomatoes

1 can (8 ounces, or 225 g) tomato sauce

1/2 cup (120 ml) dry red wine

2 celery ribs, diced

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

12 ounces (340 g) frozen cross-cut green beans or Italian beans, thawed

1 cup (130 g) frozen peas, thawed

1 large turnip, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons (2 g) dried basil

1 tablespoon (2 g) dried oregano

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon pepper

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6) and let it heat while you throw your soup bones in a roasting pan. Slide them into the oven and give them about 40 minutes; you want them browned all over.

Put your browned bones in the slow cooker and add the water and beef bouillon concentrate. Turn it on to low while you gather/open/peel/cut up/measure everything else and add it all to the pot. Cover and let the whole thing cook for a good eight hours.

Fish out the bones with tongs or slotted spoon. The meat will be falling off the bone, so it should be very easy to take it off, chop it up, and throw it back in the pot. Remove the bay leaves, stir it up, and serve!

Yield:
8 servings, each with: 17 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 13 g usable carbs. It's hard to get a clear calorie and protein count on this because it will depend on how meaty your bones are. If they're not meaty enough for your tastes, feel free to throw in some diced beef—chuck or rump would do fine.

Cauliflower, Cheese, and Spinach Soup

Maria's family gave this raves. It's easy, too!

6 cups (600 g) cauliflower florets, cut into

1/2-inch (13 mm) pieces

1 quart (950 ml) chicken broth

1/2 cup (80 g) minced red onion

5 ounces (140 g) bagged baby spinach leaves, pre-washed

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 cloves garlic, crushed

3 cups (360 g) shredded smoked Gouda cheese

1 cup (235 ml) Carb Countdown dairy beverage

Guar or xanthan

In your slow cooker, combine the cauliflower, broth, onion, spinach, cayenne, salt or Vege-Sal, pepper, and garlic. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6 hours or until the cauliflower is tender.

When the time's up, stir in the Gouda, a little at a time, and then the Carb Countdown. Re-cover the slow cooker and cook for another 15 minutes or until the cheese has thoroughly melted. Thicken soup a little with guar or xanthan.

Yield:
8 servings, each with: 214 calories, 14 g fat, 17 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 5 g usable carbs.

Tavern Soup

Here's a cheese soup with beer! Don't worry about the kids, the alcohol cooks off.

1 1/2 quarts (1.4 L) chicken broth

1/4 cup (30 g) finely diced celery

1/4 cup (38 g) finely diced green bell pepper

1/4 cup (28 g) shredded carrot

1/4 cup (15 g) chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 pound (455 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

12 ounces (355 ml) light beer

1/2 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal

1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Guar or xanthan

Combine the broth, celery, green pepper, carrot, parsley, and pepper in your slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6 to 8 hours, and even a bit longer won't hurt.

When the time's up, either use a hand-held blender to puree the vegetables right there in the slow cooker or scoop them out with a slotted spoon, purée them in your blender, and return them to the slow cooker.

Now whisk in the cheese a little at a time until it's all melted in. Add the beer, salt or Vege-Sal, and Tabasco sauce and stir till the foaming stops. Use guar or xanthan to thicken your soup until it's about the texture of heavy cream. Re-cover the pot, turn it to high, and let it cook for another 20 minutes before serving.

Yield:
8 servings, each with: 274 calories, 20 g fat, 18 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, trace dietary fiber, 3 g usable carbs.

Cream of UnPotato Soup

I never cease to marvel at the versatility of cauliflower. This really does taste like potato soup.

1 quart (950 ml) chicken broth

1/2 head cauliflower, chunked

1/2 cup (80 g) chopped onion

1/2 cup (50 g) Ketatoes mix

1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream